Discuss how Arthur Miller presents Elizabeth as going through her own personal crucible in the Crucible.

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Introduction

Discuss how Arthur Miller presents Elizabeth as going through her own personal crucible in the play. Arthur Miller clearly establishes the Salem community in 1692 prior to the play. He describes the Salem witch trials that happened many years ago in his "The Crucible" and how the people of Salem go through there own personal crucible with being accused of being a witch. The Crucible describes a period of mass hysteria in which accusations of witchcraft are made against the women of Salem stemming from a few girls breaking there strict religious beliefs and going into the woods and apparently trying to conjure up spirits. A "crucible" is a container in which metals are heated to extract the pure element from impurities. In this play many of the characters/characteristics change during the play for better or worse. Elizabeth Proctor is the wife of John Proctor and the mother of her children, two boys. Although Elizabeth is not present in Act one, the audience discovers that she dismissed Abigail Williams from her service. When the latter is questioned about her "reputation" in the community and the reasons as to why she was dismisses, she replies that: "She hates me, ...read more.

Middle

Furthermore, their conversation is tense and everything they do or say will or ways come back to the affair and Abigail Williams. During the course of their conversation, Elizabeth relaxes and becomes more communicative. They become at ease with each other and they start to speak in a different way, and their body language changes and how they move around the room and each other. Soon they start building up to a argument and this is when it hits Elizabeth about Abigail and john alone together and she turns "cold" and accusatory once again and this develops into an argument in which John becomes very angry and insults Elizabeth by saying: "Your Justice would freeze beer" Over the several months since Elizabeth knew about the affair he has done her every wish and when they have this argument he lets out his anger by insulting her. He is supposed to be the head of the master and probably has not felt that that was his job in the household and he comes to blow with her. This argument is interrupted by Mary Warren's entrance their new maid and the Proctors show their allegiance towards one and other and stop arguing. ...read more.

Conclusion

When Elizabeth is in court and is asked about John's adultery it's her natural instinct to lie to save them as a couple but then contradicts what John has just admitted to and contradicts what john also said in act two that she has never lied in her life. In view of Elizabeth's previous behaviour and John's claims, the audience would expect to of maybe change her mind and told the truth about Abigail Williams and the affair not knowing that John had already confessed to his adultery. Consequently, one of the most dramatic moments of the play occurs, when Elizabeth tries to look at him to say sorry it contrast to the stage directions in act two where it was a certain disappointment when John kissed her. At this point, it is clear that Elizabeth is going through her own "crucible" due to the fact that she lied to save her husband and get Abigail in trouble and so other people know what she is like. It is also her own crucible because in act two John promised people that Elizabeth has never lied and wasn't going to start now so in a way she got her self in trouble for not lying the one time she needed to save herself and John. ...read more.

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